Leconfield’s Defence School of Transport’s commandant insists the awarding of Freedom of Entry to the East Riding is a tribute to the hard work of everyone in the local community.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council have granted the Defence School of Transport “the highest honour a council can bestow upon an organisation” in recognition of their long-standing association with the people of the region.
Colonel Paul Ash says it will be a huge honour to accept Freedom of Entry at Sunday’s Armed Forces day in the town.
He told HU17.net: “We are delighted to have been offered the Freedom of the East Riding of Yorkshire and will take great pleasure accepting it.
“I believe it is a reflection on the huge amount of work that goes on within the confines of Normandy Barracks to prepare the young servicemen and women for operations.
“Whilst it will be the military who have the privilige of marching through Beverley on Sunday, we must not forget that three-quarters of those who work at the school are civil servants, folks from the local community, who play such an important part in what we do.”
A statement from EYRC read: “The East Riding of Yorkshire Council has voted to grant the Defence School of Transport the freedom of the East Riding of Yorkshire in recognition of their long-standing association with the people of East Yorkshure and in recognition of their devoted service to Queen and country.”
Freedom of Entry is an ancient tradition dating back to the 12th century.
In medieval days, independent armies were owned and maintained by noblemen and because of the threat from more ‘unruly elements’ inside the army and a general mistrust of some private armies, marching through the growing towns and cities was forbidden.
But with the growing need for trade with the local armies and the need for protection, Freedom of Entry was established in the City of London. This meant the local community trusted their armies to protect their interests or be of mutual interest.
At the ceremony on Sunday, the Defence School of Transport will be presented with a Freedom Scroll, formalising their right to march through Beverley and the East Riding in full military regalia.
There’s no doubting the huge role the Defence School of Transport plays in the community.
It is the biggest military driving school in Europe and apart from the honour of being associated with the school, Beverley has undoutedly benefited from trade with the school and the number of jobs created.
Colonel Ash was keen to stress how important the links with Beverley are to the school, and thanked the local community for taking the school to their hearts.
He continued: “I would also like to thank all those people who live in the area who graciously tolerate the congestion that sometimes occurs on the local roads and say to them that without their support and forbearance this would not be possible.
“It is therefore not just an award for the Defence School of Transport but an award for us all – we are after all your unit and part of your community.”
I was a young WRAF airwoman stationed at the former RAF Leconfield in the late 1960s. I remember going on pub crawls, the cider was really strong, one was called Nelly’s own. My friend Kathy and I, used to hitchhike to the seaside, and I went on the back of her motorcycle to visit her parents. I met my ex husband at Lecondfield. I’m now a widow living Florida. I just found out the camp closed in 1977 and is now school of transport. So many changes, I probably wouldn’t remember the place. At least three RAF camps my husband was stationed at in Scotland have closed down. It makes me a little sad. My dad was in the RAF too, I expect most of the places he went to are now closed.